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Today the Blue Jays return home to Dunedin—which means no televised game—to face the Philadelphia Phillies in another 1 pm spring training game. Matt Shoemaker will take the mound today to see if he can repeat the results of his successful start last Monday.
I just booked my flight to Philadelphia for the May 29 game against the Nationals where the Phillies will be retiring Roy Halladay’s #34 (the Blue Jays play the Orioles that weekend so I will likely hop down to see Camden Yards too). That got me thinking of the things the two franchises share:
- Our love and respect for Roy Halladay and Pat Gillick
- The 1993 World Series
- Being neighbours in spring training with with Spectrum Field just a 15-minute drive from TD Ballpark
- The Phillies were briefly nicknamed the Blue Jays in the 1940’s
I was wearing a Blue Jays t-shirt this morning at the hotel breakfast when a woman wearing a Phillies shirt approached our table and said "It's so good to be able to share him with you." #HOFWknd
— Minor Leaguer (@Minor_Leaguer) July 21, 2019
If you are able, please do join me for that Phillies-Orioles weekend! There will be laughter and tears.
When you have time before or after today’s game, head over to The Hardball Times to read this great piece from Ryan Di Francesco. In “I Want It That Way”, Ryan writes about The Backstreet Boys, Gabriel Moreno,and Dallas McPherson. It is a great story—you will always have a hole in your life if you don’t click that link and read it.